Chicago's Indigenous History
More than 10,000 years ago, Native North Americans were living in the Chicago area. More recently, Miami, Sauk, Meskwaki, Potowatomi, Kickapoo, Ojibwe, and other peoples called northern Illinois home.
In the 1700s and 1800s, Europeans forced most of these peoples out. But in the last 50 years, many have returned. Today, thousands of Indigenous peoples from North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean live in greater Chicago.
Check out the timeline of Chicago's Indigenous history below:Late 1600s
Miami and Illinois peoples meet French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet.
1700s
The Miami Nation leaves the Chicago area and migrates east into Indiana and Ohio. Shortly afterwards, the Potowatomi, Ojibwe, and Ottawa Nations—also known as the "Three Fires Confederacy"—move into the Chicago area.
1803
Fort Dearborn is established, initiating permanent European settlements in the Illinois area.
1831
The Black Hawk War erupts between the Illinois militia and the Sauk/Meskwaki alliance. Black Hawk, a Sauk leader, is eventually forced to surrender after a massacre of Native American peoples at Bad Axe River in southwestern Wisconsin.
1833
The Treaty of Chicago is signed by the Potowatomi, Ojibwe, and Ottawa Nations, forcing Native Americans in Illinois to relocate west of the Mississippi River.
1893
The World's Columbian Exposition is held in Chicago. Many displays connected to this event, including Buffalo Bill's "Wild West Show," feature Indigenous peoples in exploitative and romanticized settings. Indigenous objects displayed in the Fair's extensive exhibits become the basis for The Field Museum's Anthropology collections.
1924
Native Americans are granted U.S. citizenship and guaranteed the right to vote.
1952
The Bureau of Indian Affairs initiates its Relocation Program, and the "Great Migration" to Chicago begins. Thousands of Native Americans—with Federal promises of relocation assistance and counseling—leave reservations and move to Chicago, many settling in the Uptown neighborhood.
1953
The American Indian Center is founded in Chicago.
1970
As Native American political movements grow nationwide, members of the Chicago Indigenous community stage a protest near Wrigley Field. Their three-month "Indian Village" sit-in brings the social and economic challenges of urban Native Americans to the attention of many.
Today
Thousands of Indigenous peoples call Chicago home. Hailing from North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean, these citizens represent nearly every walk of life, and are integral members of the city's multi-cultural tapestry.
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